My Conversation with Mom #2 About Her Conversion To Christianity...

Today I met with a friend and her mom (practically like my second mother). Actually, interesting, if I end up considering myself 'born-again' - she WILL be like my second mom :O

She shared her story with me and corrected some misconceptions and concerns I had re: Christianity. Here are a few take-aways I had from our coffee meeting (then I'll tell you about Church). Buckle in!

Here's her background. She was once a VERY devout Hindu. As a kid, I used to even run from her when she started her sermons.  She knew all the religious writings by HEART. She then hit some hardships and one day, GOD himself (not even Jesus) appeared before her. She saw him. She even described what he looked like...

Long robe...long white hard...silhouette mostly though. He began by asking her: "Do you know my Son, Christ?"  I found that interesting since recently I had heard "My name is Christ." Wonder why he doesn't call himself Jesus?

Anyways, here's the SHOCKING part. When he appeared before her, he recited the entire 66 books of the Bible to her. She went from one day not knowing a WORD to the next knowing the entire Bible. Even before my eyes, she flew through the Bible finding scriptures left and right, almost on demand!

After that he continued to speak to her and give her instructions as to "what next." The message was unavoidable, even to a middle aged DEVOUT Hindu woman. It was clear that day. She was now on the path of following Christ.

My Conversation with Her:

In the entire conversation I asked a few questions among other conversation.

1. Is it still OK to go to other religion events if it means supporting my family and only for that reason? After all, Commandment #5 says "Honor your father and mother."

"Yes it is. Pray to Christ first and simply explain your situation. Ask to be excused. During the religious proceedings, simply think of him and pray to him. When you leave, praise his name yet again.

Actually, he'll be even more proud of you.

Christ is not an angry God. Remember, he is all love. He understands our situations better than anyone (even ourselves). What's important is that your heart is clean - that's all."

This brought me great Peace. It's what I always felt inside and considering she is still "in" a Hindu family. She has to still support her Son and others who have Hindu marriages, etc... She goes and supports her family without ever fearing hurting or upsetting Jesus.

Remember. He loves, that's it. He loves.

2. If I embrace Christ, does that mean I have to always look at my family as if they are condemned? Do I have to judge them? I won't have the heart to do it. They only do what they have always been taught in their lives.

"No it is not! As a matter of fact, by bringing Christ to me, I bring him to my family as well! I can pray for them. This is just not something I'm to worry about. I'm just a human. Let Christ handle worrying about that. I handle myself :)

My job is just to love them. Support them. All the time."

Hmm...it was a semi-comforting answer, but I guess it still worries me, it's a weird dynamic.


3. Is Christ really speaking to me?

"Yes. If he's revealing himself to me, he is. If I feel he is speaking to me, then yes, he is."

After this we went to Church service together. I'll write about that in a minute - it was a bit of an emotional service in the beginning for me. NO idea why, I rarely rarely cry, but almost did today.

My Problem with Leviticus

Firstly, do not take this personally. I am simply voicing questions and concerns not offering judgment. The Book of Leviticus is about rituals and sacrifices. From my studies of Jesus and Christianity, it seemed that rituals and sacrifices were looked down upon.

However, the Bible is the word of God. Christians follow the Bible. Jesus defends, explains and expands on the Old Testament (a part of the Bible). Leviticus is IN the Old Testament. Hence, Christians (and Christ himself) believe in the Leviticus. Right?

Established?

Then, why do I not know a SINGLE Christian that follows these practices or laws? Most I know eat Pork (against Leviticus 11:7).

None I know offer any such sacrifices or rituals. The opposite happens. They avoid and judge other religions for their sacrificial background and beliefs.

I asked my Christian friend and she said:

"Well the Bible is the word of God. We won't understand it all. That's OK. We just trust him. We can't pick and choose what we BELIEVE, we must believe it all. However, some things do change with the time and culture."

BAM! I got a problem with that last statement.

No where in the Bible does it state that we have the right to tweak it based on "Time." Jesus never said that either. So...who said we can then?

And, if so, who decides? Where is the line?

What applies and what doesn't?  This opens a BIG hole. This opens a LOT of room for personal "opinion."  I'm not saying that's bad or good. I'm saying Christians need to be true to that and realize it.

I guess that's why we have so many denominations? Just interesting. 

I guess I don't like that people feel they can say "ohhh that...yea that is not applicable due to the time" to something they don't do. But, to something they DO follow, they can scream "bloody murder" at another Christian and pass judgement.

It smells of hypocrisy. That's all :)  I part in peace, no offense intended.

Hinduism Compared to Christianity - Simple Notes

If you want to watch the videos where I got these notes from, please check this blog post <-- Click Here.

Here's what these videos summarized as the MAJOR differences between the Religions. NOTE: These are just the NUTS and BOLTS of the differences, there are far many more. Let's start with the basics.

Comparison of Hinduism with Christianity:

1. What is God?  (Hindus - God is NOT a person, God is the Universe. God is the Ultimate state of being which you reach by living a life of the best Karma. Reincarnation is how you are punished for bad Karma. As long as you keep getting reincarnated, you are not allowed to reach the Ultimate state.  Christians - God is separate from the World. God CREATED the world and is not an Illusion. God is fixed, defined and definite. Sin is very real and is punished for on Judgement day unless you embrace Jesus Christ who can save you.)
2. Hindus tolerate ANY way to reach the "Ultimate" aka God. It is even said that Hindus accept Jesus Christ as "The God of The People Who Call Themselves Christians" (for example). Christianity does NOT accept any other faith as even a possibility and their writings state that believing in anything else is the greatest sin.
3. Hinduism can be seen as "all inclusive" and Christianity is considered "Highly exclusive."
4. Hinduism believes that all around sin is still an illusion, however, sin still creates your Karma.
5. The Caste System in Hinduism is a part of the "tracking devices" used to track your prior life Karma. Technically, one is not supposed to interfere with the Karma of another. Essentially, this gets translated to: "helping the poor is not right, you're messing up their Karmaic balance."

The summary here is that these two religions are HIGHLY HIGHLY different. Hinduism allows for room in the belief to be more open and accepting. However, that same openness complicates understanding the religion. 

Only interesting thing I want to note is that Hinduism seems to have roots that are older than even the Old Testament - so it's been around longer?

1 PETER 5:7, PSALM 55:22, PROVERBS 3:5-6, MATTHEW 6:27,

Reference this blog post to see why I'm writing about these particular versus of the Bible.


1 Peter 5:7:

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

Right now, this particular verse is holding VERY near to my heart. It's precisely what I've been doing the last few days and all seems to be getting better so fast.


PSALM 55:22

"Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken."

This scripture gives one such peace - makes you feel like you truly have nothing to worry about.


PROVERBS 3:5-6

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

I love the word "paths" that came up here. I've been using that a LOT the last 10 days or so, never from reading it here - just a word that came to me.


MATTHEW 6:27

"Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"

Love this one because NO GREATER truth can be spoken. God or no God, religion or no religion - honestly answer this: "Can worrying help you in ANY way. No. Then we should stop! I've decided I'm going to now for sure."


Thanks "friend who's name I won't mention here" - you rock for showing me these!

A Really Interesting Story - A Fight with a Friend Leads to an AH-HA Moment!

2 nights ago I grew defensive and snapped at a friend. We ARGUED and got off the phone angry. We're OK now, we Emailed and gave each other virtual hugs - it happens!


I realized lately there are certain topics I get very defensive about - very stressed about. If someone even tippy toes around them, I get my swords out and start growling. Well, it was a time to put an end to that.

On my conquest to further find my "peaceful place" - I came to an "awkward" realization on my own - something I have NEVER thought of before.  Read what I wrote to her in my reply - it explains better.

I honestly have NO idea where this came from. She was shocked and sent me this text message:

She followed it with this one:

Really interesting. I went onto research the scriptures she pointed out and my jaw dropped! I literally have no idea where my mind came up the words in that Email.

I've never spoken that before. Pretty awesome!

"Start At The Book of John" - Advice I Recently Got...

I've been a bit frustrated trying to find the proper studying source for the Bible. I'm now discovering it's actually the OLD TESTAMENT that's harder to understand. The NEW TESTAMENT is making much faster sense to me.

A friend recently advised that I start at the Book of John, I never asked her why, but today I skipped ahead to it (way ahead). I'm really enjoying it and it's making very clear sense.

Again, for anyone interested, I'm listening to the NIV Dramatized Audio version (This way I can listen to it in the car and while walking around - more study time ;)

Also, I had a MOMENT today worth hearing about - I'll post that next!

Christian vs. Christian - The Guilty Conscious Decides?

Meet two people, both devout Christians:

1. Dave - No doubt in his mind. An exemplary Christian. Feels no problem with visiting a Temple or even participating in other religious events (where other Gods are worshipped). 

2. Jim - No doubt in his mind. An exemplary Christian. Refuses to even visit another religious event or participate or even view the worshipping of another God.

Are both Good Christians? Are both abiding by the Bible? Would both be blessed by Jesus all the same? This has been a MAJOR question for me as I engage in my research. I plan on visiting a Christian pastor soon to continue my research.

However, for now, a very good friend (a Christian) explained to me that:

"YES! Both are still good Christians as long as they have no guilty conscious or doubt of their belief in their one and only Lord, Jesus Christ."

Essentially, different Christians share a different view on their ability to SEE or ATTEND other religious events - even if they're just there for the sake of it. If they don't FEEL they are sinning (because they have a clean heart, they're not).

However, it IS a sin to try to push another into something they don't want to do. For So, Dave cannot judge Jim or try to force Jim to go.

The topic is still a bit confusing to me, however, apparently the Bible does not have a DEFINITE answer to this question. I'll find out soon...

Hinduism Accepts Jesus?

I've been studying Hinduism more, at least trying to - it's very confusing to me still. Apparently, I'm not alone - many say that initially it's a tough faith to understand.

For Example - Violating The Law of Contradiction

Did you know that Hinduism accepts Jesus (And the Gods of ANY faith)? Hinduism already has thousands of Gods. They say that all paths to the ultimate (God) are true. They'd simply say "Jesus is the God of those who call themselves Christian" much the same way they'd explain another deity.

However, this is not comforting to other faiths, such as Christians - rather it makes them (and me) scratch our heads.

Christianity clearly states that JESUS IS THE ONLY GOD (there are no other Gods). So, essentially, if you teach that "Christianity is the Truth as well and an acceptable path to God"...well...Christians say that Hinduism is NOT valid.

Any faith that believes in any other God(s) other than Jesus is not the truth.

Essentially, it's weird - but if Hinduism says that Christianity is true they're accepting that Christianity says that Hinduism is not true (they annihilate their own belief)?

Yes, my head is spinning too. Back to the books.

Merry Christmas! Important Fact About "Christmas" - Embrasses Me...

Embarrassing. For years I literally thought "Hey, I'm cool with Christians, I LOVE Christmas!" (Sigh) - This teaches me the importance of "Teaching oneself before making statements."

A little over a year ago, a very close Christian to my life said this:

"Our Church does not have a service on Christmas day, I spent New Years Eve at my Church..."

I scratched my head in confusion.

"Baby Jesus was BORN on Christmas! That's the day to go to Church! New Years is PARTY time."

It all seemed so backwards to me. But I let it be and did not probe further. Now, as I'm studying Christianity I'm learning that Christmas is so largely a commercialized holiday.

At the root of it, no one even really knows when Jesus was born for sure. Some Churches just decided to use December 25th. I'll read more about it, but it seems the tradition of "gift-giving" is just something society created and the world followed...because...well...

...we all love getting GIFTS!

Don't Tell Me What To Do - I Hate Ultimatums!

Hmmm it's a harsh title, I don't mean any offense. But, in the spirit of being honest, it's a thought my mind has. The more I read about Christianity, I find it SO hard to believe that Jesus would be so rigid and demanding. That he'd actually say "worship me or be punished to hell?"

From everything I read about him, he seems like a "cooool guy," the kind of guy that you grab a drink with, relax with and talk life with. The kind of guy you high five and are humbled by.

The kind of guy who everyone seems to always love and you just can't figure out WHY. I bet you know someone that's like that - everyone they meet becomes a fan. That's how I see Jesus.

I'm falling in love with everything about him, but this one thing rubs me the wrong way. Knowing me, I'm a guy that would MORE READILY worship him if he didn't "require" me to.

I guess I just don't like being given ultimatums. I push it away. "Tell me what to do and I'll tell you where to shove it" has always been my motto. I know the Bible says so, but something inside me just wants to believe the Apostles made it up.

I like to think Jesus actually said "It's cooool man, let's just hang out and let life take it's course - don't stress so much!" Wow, is Jesus a hippie in my mind?  No idea. Again, not trying to be blasphemous. In my own way, this is my way of PRAISING Jesus.

Let me search continue. Maybe I'll find something to support my weird desire.

"I'm a Good Person...Doesn't That Mean Anything?"

No. It really doesn't in the end of the day.

...Says an avid Christian. This is the ONE thing I don't like about Christianity. Essentially, if you don't admit that 'Jesus is the one and only.' You have zero chance of being saved.

The thinking here is that its IMPOSSIBLE for humans to be truly-good. It's impossible for us not to sin. Even God recognized that so who are we to argue?

So, you may be a "good person" but you still sin. The ONLY way to wash sin and be forgiven of it is Jesus. This saddens me. It reminds me of endless dinner debates I had in the past concerning my future. My only argument was:

"But I live by the VALUES that Christianity teaches!  I'm a GOOD person and I do GOOD things. Heck, I'm better than most Christians I even know.

Doesn't that stand for ANYTHING?"

The answer I got: "No it doesn't. At the end all that counts is if you believe in Jesus as your true savior."  It just seems so rigid, stubborn and well, unfair. As I study, I suppose I'll understand more.

Old Testament vs. New Testament - The Difference?

This can get very complicated so I'll keep it very simple. In simplifying, excuse any OVER simplification or incorrect inference on my part and feel free to correct me!

Key Differences of Points To Note:

- Old Testament came first.
- Old Testament is the Doctrine Jews follow.
- Old Testament sets up the story, the New Testament clarifies the teachings.
- The New Testament is the word of Jesus (written by his apostles).
- The New Testament is Jesus clarifying God's orders of humans
- You can't just read one - they both complete a story (the Bible)

Even More Basic:

- Old Testament, BEFORE Jesus Christ.
- New Testament, AFTER Jesus Christ.

I found a great quote at this website that discusses the difference:

"The Old Testament describes the sacrificial system God gave the Israelites to temporarily cover their sins. The New Testament clarifies that this system alluded to the sacrifice of Christ through whom alone salvation is found."

Jesus In Islam? Wow...

When studying Christianity or Islam (a Muslim's faith) it's impossible to avoid each other. Jesus is a big part of both religions. In Islam, Jesus appears 25 times in the Quran - even more than Muhammad! 


Fascinating...


Here's a great explanation in Wikipedia:

"In Islam, Jesus named as Isa(Arabic: عيسى‎ ʿĪsā) is considered to be a Messenger of God and the Masih (Messiah) who was sent to guide the Children of Israel (banī isrā'īl) with a new scripture, the Injīl or Gospel.^[1] The belief in Jesus (and all other messengers of God) is required in Islam, and a requirement of being a Muslim. The Qur'an mentions Jesus twenty-five times, more often, by name, thanMuhammad.^[2][3] It states that Jesus was born to Mary (Arabic: Maryam) as the result of virginal conception, a miraculous event which occurred by the decree of God (Arabic: Allah). To aid in his ministry to the Jewish people, Jesus was given the ability to perform miracles(such as healing the blind, bringing dead people back to life, etc.), all by the permission of God rather than of his own power. According to the popular opinion and Muslim traditions, Jesus was not crucified but instead, he was raised up by God unto the heavens. This "raising" is understood to mean through bodily ascension.

Muslims believe that Jesus will return to earth near the day of judgment to restore justice and to defeat Masih ad-Dajjal ("the false messiah", also known as the Antichrist).^[4][5]

Like all prophets in Islam, Jesus is considered to have been a Muslim (i.e., one who submits to the will of God), as he preached that his followers should adopt the "straight path" as commanded by God. Islam rejects the Christian view that Jesus was God incarnate or the son of God, that he was ever crucified or resurrected, or that he ever atoned for the sins of mankind. The Qur'an says that Jesus himself never claimed any of these things, and it furthermore indicates that Jesus will deny having ever claimed divinity at the Last Judgment, and God will vindicate him.^[6] The Qur'an emphasizes that Jesus was a mortal human being who, like all other prophets, had been divinely chosen to spread God's message. Islamic texts forbid the association of partners with God (shirk), emphasizing a strict notion of monotheism(tawhīd).

Numerous titles are given to Jesus in the Qur'an and in Islamic literature, the most common being al-Masīḥ ("the messiah). Jesus is also, at times, called "Seal of the Israelite Prophets", because, in general Muslim belief, Jesus was the last prophet sent by God to guide the Children of Israel. Jesus is seen in Islam as a precursor to Muhammad, and is believed by Muslims to have foretold the latter's coming."

Where Christians and Muslims AGREE:
- Jesus could heal and perform Miracles.
- Jesus spoke the word of God.
- Jesus is born to Virgin Mary.
- Jesus will return to earth near Judgement Day to restore Peace.
- Jesus will defeat the Anti-Christ- Jesus foretold the future


Where Christians and Muslims DISagree:
- Muslims say Jesus was only human - a messenger of God. NOT his son.
- Muslims say that Jesus never even claimed to be his Son and will deny that on his 2nd coming.
- Jesus was not crucified to atone for mankind's sins - he was raised to heaven by God.
- Jesus was a Muslim


It's so amazing. They agree on so much but disagree exactly where it counts. Hmm...

Christianity - What Is Grace?

Wow, a word mentioned 170 times in the Bible - must be important, right?

I found a great site that explains Grace and it's meaning - "What is Grace?"

The site quotes this:

Grace is God's unmerited favor. That is, grace is God doing good for us that we do not deserve. In the Bible, grace and mercy are like two heads of the same coin. Mercy is God withholding judgment or evil that I deserve; grace is God giving me blessing or good that I do not deserve. Because of God's mercy, I do not receive the judgment of God against my sins; because of God's grace, I receive eternal life and a promise of heaven though I do not deserve them. Both mercy and grace come to me though the Lord Jesus Christ.

Summary in Cave Man Terminology:

Humans suck. We do bad. We evil. We DESERVE bad things. But we get GOOD. God love us. God want our salvation. God sacrifice son for us. We get saved. = Grace

"God's unmerited favor" - Even though we deserve to be punished, God sacrifices for us to give us a channel to salvation. His love, that's grace.

Quick FYI - The Bible is a BIG Book!

The more I study Christianity, the more I learn that the Bible truly is EVERYTHING go Christians. It's referenced every 5th line I read.

Clear now. If I want to truly understand this religion, I HAVE to read the entire Bible. This also means YOU Mr. Lazy Pants.

Just letting you know, if you venture out to do this, get your "determination" hat on. It's quite a story and very long. I'm not a fan of reading, so if I try to READ it, Jesus may truly have his second coming before I finish :)

I've chosen to LISTEN to it. I'm listening to the NIV Dramatized Version. I downloaded the Torrent file here. I don't know if that was illegal, I apologize if it is. I found it, so I used it :P

I LOVE it, it's very easy to understand. But that doesn't make it any shorter. But the amazing story does make it EASIER. I find myself looking forward to the times I set aside to listen to it.

So, go forth my friend, but be warned for the roads ahead are long and require your big-boy shoes.

I'll do my best to summarize each book here.  Let's GO!

My First Visit To Church - My First Service...

This post is 3 days late. No idea what or why. That little voice in my head spoke again (I'm starting to believe it's a smart voice with a vision - could it be God?)

Saturday, I was with a great friend, who converted from Hinduism to Christianity. I was sharing about my journey, my studies, etc...

I had been wanting to go to Church at least for the experience but I had also been scared. She must have sensed it, she asked me very nicely and with no push.

At first, in shock and afraid, I said no. She didn't push. She didn't judge. She carried on the conversation. 3 Hours later I quietly asked if the offer was still open.

The next day (Church day) I felt very awkward and nervous. But I'm not one to shy away from new experiences.

1 hour later, the overall experience was mind-boggling and amazing.

1. SUPER organized. I was impressed. Big screens everywhere, cameras everywhere. 5 minutes before the service started, a count-down timer appeared on the screens. When he spoke, the verses he references read across on the screens.

2. Technically ADVANCED. The pastor has Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, a Blog. Wow. The Church has a vibrant, dynamic, community based website!

3. Easy Access. The services are recorded for web viewing. The services are aired simultaneously online as well.

4. They have a BAND. I mean a full on rock-band. "Boring" religious songs suddenly have a tang/twist and a "shake your booty" beat.

5. Amazing Speaker. One thing I've always loved about Christian Pastors is they are amazing speakers. I love personal development and most Christian services are basically a "how to be happier and live better" seminar (if you take out the Jesus parts).

For years I've admired Joel Osteen which is ironic because he's considered evangelical.  

6. Organized Messages That Make Sense. Each week, they pick different versus and a different message to teach. What a great way to learn and remember.

7. There was much more too - basically, I was more than just impressed. 

We started with a few songs from the Band. Then the Pastor came and led prayer with the group. In between, we were asked to look around, shake hands, say Hi and SMILE :)

Then, the Pastor spoke to us on the meaning of "Fatherhood" and related it to how Jesus is the ultimate Father.

Something I Personally LOVED - The Pastor taught through stories. I love stories. I still remember them, that's the power of stories. 

Not always "feel good" stories, but stories that resonate and clarify a strong point.

That's it. We left just an hour later with knowledge, spiritual enlightenment, smiles and this "feel good aura" that's hard to explain.

My friend was great about not pressuring me for "so what did you think" - she just came out calmly and casually.  A big thank you to her (even though she has no clue about this blog).

But I asked myself, "Would you come to another service again?" My inside voice had a LOUD and very emphatic response:

"Aimen brotha, I'd love to."

I left it at that. Am I Christian now? No. No. At least not yet. I got a lot more studying to do. But that was a splendid first experience and it made me feel good.

My end goal is...something I believe in, something I understand, people I admire and that good feeling. Good start. So, even if you're not Christian, go one day, experience it. They don't bite :)

Bible - The Story of Abraham (Willing To Sacrifice His Own Son)?

I specifically looked up this story, I have a close relationship to it (I don't want to get into why). Let's just say when I lost something very important to me in my life, this story was used to try to explain it to me.

God speaks to Abraham and asks Abraham to sacrifice his son to him (to test his faith in God). His son is obviously the most precious thing in his life. Abraham's faith gets it's biggest test.

Abraham agrees. He brings his son to the alter. He prepares to kill his son but God stops him at the very last second he can.

God wouldn't allow the sacrifice. God had tested his faith and knew Abraham was true. This story was once used to explain a matter to me. I never got it - not till I analyzed it and saw an explanation of it in the recent book I read.

Something to think about...

Abraham has faith. What exactly is that faith? The faith obviously is that God could never wrong Abraham. The worst "wrong" in this case would be for Abraham to lose his son. Right?

We can easily defer then that: Abraham had FAITH that God would NOT kill his son (deep-down). Or even if God had to kill him, God would bring his son back to life. In worst case, God would assure that Abraham's son is in a better place and better off.

Underlying lesson?

Whether Abraham's son is sacrificed or not - nothing bad could come of this command by God. Only GOOD can come of it.

I speak to the person who once told me this story. I think you missed this last part! Even if God killed Abraham's son, Abraham believed that God would bring his son back to life.

An amazing story of trust, faith and belief. Makes one think...

Is Christianity Actually Monotheistic? Or Are There 3 Gods?

REALLY interesting argument. Even more ironic? A CHRISTIAN proposed it to me. A devout Christian I know and someone who is of HUGE influence in my life. Someone I respect the utmost in this world.

Here's what he said:

"Christianity is not even a MONOtheistic religion as it claims to be. Actually Christianity believes in 3 Gods."

Huh? Really? I always thought it was a "One God" religion. But now that I'm learning, it's interesting.  In the religion, you DO pray to and worship 3 different things!

1. Father, the Lord
2. Jesus, the Son of God
3. The Holy Spirit

Very interesting. Very interesting. 

So, what do you think?  Does that make Christianity a religion of more than one God? 

Jesus - A Crazy Man or God - Pick One?

Hop in the time travel machine with me and let's go back 4-5 months:

Me: "But isn't it enough that I love the story of Jesus and that I believe in the values he taught, isn't that enough?"

I always believed this until I read "Christianity for Dummies," the author quotes C. Lewis, a very prominent Christian author who most in the Christian community really trust. C. Lewis basically called ME crazy for saying what I used to say (and I actually understand why).

C. Lewis says (and I paraphrase): "There's no such thing as just 'liking' his story. If you refuse to believe that Jesus was God but you 'like' his story - then YOU'RE crazy for liking a fool. Yes, because if you don't believe Jesus is God, you obviously must think he was a fool.  I mean the guy ran around calling himself God and apparently doing 'miracles.'  

What would YOU think right now if someone came to you and said "Follow me, worship me, do as I say for I am God." I know that if someone said that to me now, my immediate reaction would be "wow, you're crazy."

So, essentially - Christianity does not care for or allow middle ground - it's of no use. If you follow Jesus, then make him your God. If you don't, then nothing else is of value to Jesus. He doesn't want you to LIKE him, he says you need to worship him and accept him as your one and only.

MOVIE Review: The Passion of The Christ

'

I had the random idea to watch "The Passion of the Christ" movie about a week ago when I was a few chapters into the "Dummies For Christianity" book. Just came to me...

I'd never seen it. When it first released, there was a LOT of controversy around it. Why? The only way to really understand is to see the movie. Christian or not, your eyes will tear up.

Jesus gets whipped, slashed and tortured. It's absolutely torturous to watch. They show the Jews as the ones who are killing him for "blasphemy" (as is described in the religion). Obviously, this would bring up some "controversy."

I Was Mistaken

I thought the movie was about the LIFE of Jesus. So I was hoping to learn more from it. However, I learned in the movie (a great lesson in itself), it's about his death. When someone say "Passion of Christ" they're referring to his willingness to suffer and die for our sins.

My Review:

DEFINITELY a must-see. BUT, read about Christianity first or else the movie will not make sense. The movie assumes you understand what terms/phrases and what the story is. It begins at him getting captured. It begins with him performing a miracle. It begins with the apostles.

You won't know any of that unless you've read first. After reading though, I kept having "OHHH AH HA" moments. 

Excellent excellent movie but my jaw was open the entire time. It's one of those movies you can't watch, but can't bare to even think about turning off. Just be warned, it's highly graphic and makes you FEEL every second of it.

Here You Go! I Found It On YouTube!